Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- In a critical indication of growing U.S. military involvement in the civil war in Syria , Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel has ordered the deployment of more American troops to Jordan .

Hagel announced the deployment , which was first reported on CNN , in a statement to the Senate Armed Services Committee on Wednesday .

He said the troops will work alongside Jordanian forces to `` improve readiness and prepare for a number of scenarios . ''

The troops , which will number up to 200 , are from the headquarters of the 1st Armored Division at Fort Bliss , Texas , two Defense Department officials told CNN .

The deployment `` creates an additional capability '' beyond what has been there , one official said , and will give the United States the ability to `` potentially form a joint task force for military operations , if ordered . ''

The new deployment will include communications and intelligence specialists who will assist the Jordanians and `` be ready for military action '' if President Barack Obama were to order it , the official said .

There have been several dozen American troops , mainly special forces , in Jordan for the past year assisting the Jordanians .

But that group has been very ad hoc , the official said . This new deployment makes the U.S. military presence more official and is the first formalized ongoing presence of an American military unit in the Kingdom in recent years .

This comes as the Pentagon has recently reviewed military options for Syria although Obama has not ordered any to be put into action .

Hagel cautioned lawmakers about the difficulties surrounding any direct U.S. military action in Syria .

`` It could embroil the United States in a significant , lengthy , and uncertain military commitment , '' he said .

He called military intervention `` an option , but an option of last resort . ''

Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Martin Dempsey said the United States could send troops to Syria if the regime of President Bashar al-Assad fell to rebels , if needed , to secure the country 's chemical weapons cache .

But when asked if he was confident the United States could secure them , Dempsey said , `` Not as I sit here today simply because they have been moving it , and the number of sites is quite numerous . ''

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Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel orders up to 200 troops to Jordan

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The deployment creates additional capability , potential to form task force if ordered

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Troops to include communications and intelligence specialists who will help Jordanians

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U.S. has reviewed military options for Syria although President Obama has not ordered any action